Making Money Mondays: The Secret Behind the Power of Testimonials

The secret behind the power of testimonials

Testimonials are a powerful component in your sales arsenal. But why are they so effective? The answers are in the lessons taught by legendary businessman W. Clement Stone—a skilled salesperson who built what would one day become a multi-billion dollar empire, selling fire-insurance policies door-to-door during the toughest years of the Great Depression.

There’s no denying that Clem’s people skills were big part of his success. He also had a little something extra—a binder overflowing with testimonials from his customers. Legend has it that that binder never left his side when he was knocking on all those doors. There was a good reason for that. It was chock full of stories—and not just happy accounts from people. It also told painful stories of those who had lost houses, farms and even loved ones to misfortune…and how relieved they were that, thanks to Clem, they had signed on the dotted line long ago, and were insured against loss.

Read any of the stories out of that binder, and it’s hard to imagine how anyone could ever say no to him!

That’s the amazing power of testimonials. They work because they humanize what is otherwise just another business transaction. They also reaffirm for others what you already know is true about the value of the product or service you are selling.

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